Throttling arrangement for conduits



Inventor. Theodor` Stem ff 22W f HL@ Attorneg.

T. STEIN Filed Feb. 17, 1926 Aug. 20, 1929.

THROTTLING ARRANGEMENT Fon CONDUITs patented ug. 26, i929.

UNITED srarss P TFE THEODOR' STEIN, 0F FRIEDENAU, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TOGENERAL `EIEEG'.IIRIC COMPANY, A CORE'ORATION OF NEW YORK.

THROTTLING A RRANGEMENT FOR CONDUITS.

Application filed February 17, 1926, Serial No. 88,902, and in GermanyMarch 13, 1925.

The present invention relates to a throttling arrangement for conduitsconveying fluids under pressure, and more particularly it relates to athrottling arrangement in a conduit providing a pressure-reducingconnection between two points of pressure difference in a fiuidfconduitsystem or between two fiuid conduits or conduit systemswherein differingfluid pressures exist.

In the problem of conveying a fluid from one point of higher pressure toanother point of lower pressure, relatively great pressure reductionshave frequently to be made. rlhe ordinary throttle valve usuallyemployed for this purpose heretofore, particularly in connection withconduits conveying steam, which may be taken as a common and well knownexample, provides a restricted passage of variable cross-sectionconnected in the conduit to be throttled. According to the opening ofthe throttle valve, a greater or lesser quantity of steam is allowed topass v between the higher and lower pressure sides of the valve. Thisarrangement admits of automatic control in response to either the lugheror the lower pressure to maintain either the one or the other constantin any suitable and well known manner.

With this arrangement, the cross-sectional areas of the inlet and outletof the valve, together with those of the inlet and outlet conduitsrespectively connected therewith, must be so related that on each sideof the throttle valve a determined maximum permissible steam velocity isset up when the maximum desired quantity of steam is passing through thethrottle valve and connected conduits, V,if the arrangement is to .befully and efiiciently utilized. For example, if live steam at 30()pounds pressure is to bereduced to 30 'pounds pressure while flowing ata certain desired velocity, the specific volume of the steam after itsexpansion in the throttle valve will be approximately ten times'asgreat, so'that the outlet of the valve and conduit connected therewithmust be given a cross-sectional area approximately ten times that of theinlet and inlet conduit, if the latter is dimensioned to the extremelimit and the arrangement is to funcand has the disadvantage that fordifferent.

ranges of eicient pressure reduction, a large variety of valves isnecessary to meet every desired condition of operation, and the valvesand valve fittings required, particularly for effecting the greaterreductions of pressure, are expensive because of their special design.

A further disadvantage lies in the fact that the low pressure or outletconduit must often be of considerable length and because of its sizecorrespondingly relatively costly. Additional fittings in largeconduits, such as shut-ott valves, elbows, tees and couplings, are alsorelatively costly because of their size.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved and eflicie'ntthrottling arrangement for conduits which obviates the above and otherdisadvantages common to throttling arrangenients used heretofore andwhich at the same time admits of automatic as well as manual control atany convenient location'.

For a further considerationvof what is oelieved to be novel, attentionis now directed to the accompanyingy drawing.,A the description thereofand the appended claims.

In the drawing, the figure is a view, partly in section, of a conduitprovided with a. throttling arrangement embodying the invention. l y

Referring' to the drawing, 5 is a high pressure section and 6 is a lowpressure; section of a conduit conveying a fluid', theeluid flow beingfrom the high pressure to the low pressure section. Conduit sections 5and 6 may be considered to represent any higher and lower pressureconduits or conduit systems which it isv desired to connect by apressure-reducing arrangement, `and in the present exampley may beconsidered to carry steam, although the invention is not limited tothecontrol or reduction of steam pressure.

In the conduit adjacent the high pressure section is located a' throttlevalve 7 which may be of any suitable construction and which provides arestricted passage of variable cross-section in theeonduit.l Adjacentthe low pressure section, is provided a second restricted passage ofconstant crosssection. This last is provided by any suitable means, suchas a balile plate Shaving a control orifice opening 9. The baie plate isclamped between the flanged ends of the low pressure conduit 6 and aconnecting V- conduit section l0, which at its opposite end the outlet'end of throttle l ing a pressure of 300 pounds in supply section 5 and aresulting pressure of 30 pounds in the low pressure section 6, thelatter 1s provided-With a cross-sectional area of approximately tentimes that of section 5 for maximum use of the conduit connection.

The present arrangement is such that part of the pressure drop is takenin the throttle valve 7 and part by the baille plate or fixed throttle8. An intermediate pressure is thus set up in the connecting conduitsection 10. The baille plate orifice 9 is of such cross-sectional area.that this intermediate pressure is only slightlyl lower than that insupply section 5, for example about 240 pounds pressure, when the fullvelocity of flow is admitted through the conduit. This permits theconnecting conduit section 10, which may be and often is of considerablelength, to be economically provided; that is, it may be a pipe ofrelatively small diameter while providing for the throttling control byvalve 7 adjacent the suppy section 5.- Furthermore the outlet connectionfor the throttle valve represented by a flange 11 need be only largeenough to connect with conduit 10 and only slightly larger than theinlet connection with the supply conduit section 5 as indicated by aange 12.

With the usual throttling arrangement connecting conduit 10 would be ofthe same cross-sectional areaas the low pressure section 6 necessitatinga valve 7 with an enlarged outlet flange 11, that is a valve of specialconstruction.

With the present arrangement a throttle valve and connecting conduit ofthe desired size may be installed and the correct pressure in theconnecting conduit for maximum velocity of How established by insertinga baffle plate having the correct size orice opening adjacent the lowpressure section. This arrangement operates to provide for the desiredmaximum velocity of flow under all conditions as illustrated by thefollowing example Assuming that the quantity of steam passing throughthe throttling conduit arrangement falls below the maximum, for exampleto half, then the Apressure in front of, or on the higher pressure sideof lthe baillek plate,

will fall to one-half its -former value, that is, to 120 pounds,assuming the former pressure to have been 240 pounds as givenhereinbefore. The specific volume of the steam in connecting conduit 10will ilmn lio, doubled. Half the quantity of steam at double valveoutlet fia-nge and the connecting conduit section are dimensioned foronly a slight increase of volume corresponding to a pressure of 240ounds, in the`present example, instead of or a volume corresponds ing toa pressurey of 30 pounds as would be necessary with throttlingarrangements hitherto known. f

In certain applications of the throttling arrangement provided by theresent inven.

tion, it is desirable to provi ep., the connecting conduit section 10with the same diameter or cross-sectional area as the supply conduitsection 5 for the purpose of utilizlng as 4the adjustable throttlemeans, an easily manufactured valve having equal inlet and dischargeopenings or connecting flanges.

To provide the same pressurev reduction at the desired velocity of flow,it is necessary only to change the cross-section of the fixed throttlemeans.. In the present examplethis simply means changing baiile plate 8to pro` vide an orifice opening of the correct size. Valve 7 may thenhave equal inlet and outlet openings and likewise connecting conduit.

section 10 may have the same cross-sectional area as supply section 5.

The use of the throttling flange as shown or equivalent means is veryadvantageous, particularly in reducing higher pressures, since thecross-sectional area or diameter of the throttling valve or otherequivalent variable throttling means may be made relatively small. Forexample, assuming pipe conduits as shown, and the pressures assumedhereinbefore of 300 pounds in the supply conduit section and 30 poundsin the low pressure conduit section, throttle valve 7 and conduitsection l0 may be dimensioned approximately ten times smaller incross-sectional area or f1- times smaller in diameter than the lowpressure conduit.

In the case of even greater pressureV reductions, for example, 1500pounds to 30 pounds, the arrangement presents even more favorableadvantages, since the throttle valve may be kept fifty times smaller incross-s ection than the low pressure section or J5() or seventimessmaller in diameter, which in View of the questions of stren th andpacking, is important in connection with such high pressures.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that this pressurereducing or throttling arrangement may be used in connecting two widelyseparated conduits or conduit systems between which a Wide pressurediierence exists, Without involving the use of a large and expensiveconnecting conduit and that the variable throttling means in thearrangement may be placed in any convenient location without involvinglarge and complicated conduits or piping, since the conduits or piping,leading toV and from it, may be kept relatively small by the use of athrottling flange or similar means connected in accordance with theinvention.

In addition to the above advantages, the

. throttling arrangement embodying the invention is adapted to automaticcontrol, as provided in connection with pressure reducing meansheretofore known. To illustrate the adaptability of the arrangement tosuch control and by way of example, a simple pressure regulator means isshown in connection with the present embodiment. This comprises a piston13 carried by the upper end of the throttle valve stem 14 which operatesin a cylinder 15 mounted on the valve body by a suitable bracket 16.Controlling pressure from any suitable source such as from the lowpressure conduit 10 is ad: mitted to the upper side of the pistonthrough a pressure pipe 17. The pressure operates to move the pistondownwardly to close the throttle valve 'againstthe action of a coiledsprin 18 contained in the cylinder beneath the plston. The spring is ofsuch strength that it balances the pressure acting on the piston whenthe valve is opened suliciently to provide the desired pressure inconduit 6. Any increase or decrease in the pressure then causes acorresponding unbalance in one direction or the otherand a correspondingmovement of the piston and valve to effect a correction of the unbalanceand to restore the pressure to its normal value. As such regulators areold and well known in themselves, further description is believed to beunnecessary.

While the invention has been described in a simple embodiment in itsapplication to the throttlino` control of steam, it should beunderstood'that it is not limited thereto, but may be applied toconduits conveying other -iluids as well and may be carried out by othermeans.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,-

1. The combination of a high pressure'conduit and a remotely located lowressurev conduit, said low pressure conduit ing adapted to convey afluid of relatively low pres-l sure at the'same rate of 'ow as the highpressure conduit and' being therefore relatively large in cross sectioncompared with the high pressure conduit, of means for sup- .highpressure conduit and said connecting conduit, said connecting conduitbeing larger in cross-section than the high pressure lconduit butrelatively small in cross-section as compared with the low pressureconduit and means providing a restricted passage of fixed cross-sectionbetween the connecting conduit and the' low pressure conduit. Y 2. Thecombination with a conduit of relatively largecross section adapted toconvey a fluid of relatively low pressure and a remote source of iuidpressure supply comprising a conduit of relatively small cross sectionadapted to convey a fluid at a relatively high pressure, of means for,connecting said conduits and remotely controlling and varying thepressurein the lowpressure conduit atsaid Huid source, said meanscomprising a third conduit of smaller cross section than that of the lowpressure conduit extending between and connecting the first andsecond-named t conduits, a throttle valve at the high pressure source'interposed between the high pressure conduit and the third-namedconduit, means responsive to the pressure in one of the conduits forcontrolling said throttle valve, and an orifice inter osed between saidthird-named `conduit an the low pressure conduit, at said low pressureconduit.

3. The combination with a pair of conduits adapted to convey fluid atthe same rate of flow and at widely dilfering'- higher and lowerpressures, of :a connectinconduit therefor adapted to convey liuibetween said conduits at the same rate of flow and at intermediatepressure a throttle valve interposed between the higher pressure conduitand the connecting conduit whereby said intermediate pressure isadjustable, means responsive to the pressure in one of the conduits forcontrolling said throttle valve, and a fixed orifice interposed betweenthe connecting conduit and the lower pressureconduit for establishingthe lower pressure in the latter conduit.

In witness whereof, v.I have hereunto set my handV this 30thv da ofJanuary, 1926.

. ODOR STEIN.

